Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-12

cupied by the pension bureau and We
recognize IS the only difference between
the proposed legislation and previous
laws passed for the benefit of surviving
soldiers OF the civil war, the incurrenee
in one case of disability in military ser
vice and in the other of disabilities exist
ing, but in no way connected
with or resulting from such ser
vice. 1t must be borne in mind
that in no case is there any
grading of this proposed pension. Under
the operation OF the rule first suggested,
if there is lack in any degree, great or
small, of abilities to earn such support as
the government determines the claimant
should have, and by application of the
rule secondly suggested, if there is
q reduction in any degree, OF the support
which he might earn if sound, he is en-
titled to pension of Sl2. In the latter
provision of the proposed bill permitting
persons now receiving pensions to oe ad-
mitted TO the benefits of the act, do
not see how those now on the
pension roll for disabilities incurred in
service, ana which diminish their earning
capacity, can be denied the pension pro-
vided iu this DILL. OF course, none will
apply who are now receiving ST. or more
I pei ulCuLIl. DuJ Ou June OF, 1900, I0STS
were on the pension rolls 2O2 Cpl persons,
who were receiving tfty-e'ght different
rates OF pension, from 81 10 SIS per
month. OF these S,4l2 were rec ewing
So per month; G3.ll6, 81 per month !;
1921, Sc per month; and 50,274, whose
disabilities were rated as total, SIS per
month. AS to the meaning of the
section of the bill under consideration,
There ma 70
ence of opinion among its advocates in
Congress. The chairman OF the commit
tee on pensions in the House of Repre-
sentatives, who reported the bill, de-
claTed that there was in it no provision
for pensioning any one who has less
disability than total disability to labor,
and that 1t was charity measure. The
chairman of the committee on pensions
in the Senate, having charge of the bill
in that body, dissented from the copstruc-
tion of the bill announced in the House
of Representatives and declared that it
not only embraced all soldiers
totally disabled, but, in his
Judgment all who are disabled to any con-
siderable extent; and such construction
was substantially given to the bill by an
other distinguished Senator who, as
former Secretary OF the Interior, hsd i'm
pressed upon him the duty of executing
the pension laws and determining their
intent and meaning. Another condition
REQUIRED OF the claimants under this act
is that they shall be dependent upon
their daily labor for support" This lan-
guage, which may be said to assume
that there exists within reach of
the persons mentioned "labor," or
ability in some degree to
work, is more sptly used in the statute
describing those not wholly deprived of
| this ability than in 8 sense which deals
| with those utterly unable to work. | am
OF the opinion that it may fairly be con-
tended that under the provisions of this
section any soldier whose faculties of
mind or body have become impaired by
accident, disease or age, irrespective OF
his service in the army as q cause, aud
who by his labor only is left incapable of
earning fair support he
might have, with uuimpaired powers,
| have provided for himself and
who if he is not so well endowed with
this worlds goods as to live without
work, may claim to participate in its
bounty; that it is not required he should
be without property, but only that labor
| should be necessary to his support in
some degree, nor is it required that
| he should be now receiving support from
others.
Believing this to be the proper lnterpre-
tation of the bill | cannot but remember
that soldiers in our civil war in their
pay and bounty received such
compensation for military service
as had never been received by
soldiers before since mankind first
went to war; that never before on behalf
of any soldier have so many and such gen.
erous laws been passed to relieve against
tie incidents of war; that statutes have
been passed giving them preference in all
public employments; that the really
needy and homeless Union soldiers of the
| rebellion have been TO large extent pro-
vided for at soldiers homes instituted
and supported by the government, where
theyare maintained together free from the
sense of degradation which attaches to
the usual support of charity,
and that never before in the his
tory of the country has 1t been
proposed to render government aid
toward the support of any of its soldiers,
based alone upon military service so re-
cent, and whose age and circumstances
appeared so little TO demand such aid.
| Hitherto such relief has been granted to
| surviving soldiers, few in number, veneer
able in age, after long lapse of time
since their military service, and as a
parting benefaction rendered by
q grateful people. [ cannot
believe that the vast peaceful
army of union soldiers, who, having con-
tentedly resumed their places
in the ordinary avocations of
| life, cherish as sacred
the memory of their patriotic service, or
who, having been disabled by the casual
ties of war and Justly regard the present
! pension rolls on which appears their
names as well as the roll of honor, desire
at this time and IN the present exigency
! to be COMPOUNDED with those who through
such bill as this are willing to be the
objects of simple charity and to gain a
place upon the pension rolls through
alleged dependence.
Recent personal observation and
| experience constrain me to
refer to another result
which will inevitably follow the passage
of this bill. 1t is sad, but nevertheless
true that already in the matter of procur-
! inc npnSiOnS there exists a WidosDread